Top 10 Affordable Retirement Towns

April 10, 2025 — Want to retire to an affordable town that has all kinds of great things going for it? Realtor.com came up with a list last year with 10 towns that hit that sweet spot. These communities offer access to many of the things that retirees value most highly: nearby beaches, good healthcare, outdoor recreation, plenty of things to do, golf cart friendly, the arts, and most importantly – reasonable cost of living.

To come up with their list Realtor.com combed through all their single-family, condo, and townhouse listings. Then they used keywords in the descriptions to pinpoint the percentage of those listings that indicate a retiree-friendly community, and prices below or near the U.S. median price of $410,100 to determine affordability. In addition to home prices, they also included the percentage of retirement age residents as well as percentage of retiree friendly listings.

Surprisingly, New Jersey garnered three spots on this list, as did Florida. California had two towns in the top 10.

Top 10 Affordable Towns

Sun City Center, Tamp FL. This very large (31,000 residents) and long established community south of Tampa has many developments within it to choose from. Some 84% of real estate listings were retirement related, and it has a median age of 71. Most of the homes are single family dwellings, but there are also duplexes, townhouses, and apartments. It has its own hospital and several nursing home facilities.

Green Valley, AZ. Located in very southern Arizona below Tucson, this is one of the most popular places to retire in the world. It has beautiful desert mountains for outstanding recreation. There is a great choice of where to live, with at least 59 different Home Owners Associations.

King City, OR. We have to admit we had never heard of King City before this list came out. Part of its attraction comes from being just 21 minutes from bustling Portand and its great medical care. The Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge is a big attraction. Average age here is a little lower at 63.

The Villages, FL. By now just everybody knows about this huge community (150,000 residents) sprawling over 3 counties in North Central Florida. If there is any activity to be done or club to join, you will find it here! Some 93% of the Realtor.com listings are retiree friendly, and home prices are about at the national median.

Manchester, NJ. This community (and the two others from New Jersey) don’t get much press but they are both retirement destinations for many people from the northeast. They are affordable and there are many communities to choose from. Home prices well below the national median. New York, the Jersey shore, and Atlantic City are close at hand.

Monroe, NJ. Another New Jersey Township, this one is great for retirees from the Northeast. There are many active communities.

Seal Beach, CA. South of Long Beach on the Pacific, Seal Beach is one of two California towns to make the list. The Leisure World retirement community, with its 9,000 residents, is a large part of the city. Some claim that Seal Beach was the first major planned retirement community in the U.S. For California, home prices are somewhat affordable and below the national median.

Sun City, CA. Aside from this one in Menifee, there are at least two other Sun Cities in California, one in Sun City Apple Valley and Lincoln Hills in Roseville. Are all long established active adult retirement community. Lincoln Hills opened for sales in 1999, and is is managed by the Home Owners Association with over 6,000 single family homes and  condominiums. All Sun City’s have amazing amenities, clubs, and activities.

Laguna Beach, CA Laguna Woods Village is probably the largest active adult community in the West, with over 10,000 residents. About 99% of real estate listings are retirement friendly. Home choices include high-rise Towers, single-family and multi-family models. For being near the beach, it is very affordable.

Whiting, NJ. Yet another winner from the Garden State, this one is also near the famous Pine Barrens and Jersey beaches. It is one of the lower cost places to retire in New Jersey, with a tremendous selection of active adult and 55+ communities to choose from.

Bottom line
This is a pretty good list and should give anyone in any part of the country some ideas on interesting places to retire. Check out these towns and the communities within them in our Active Adult Community Directory. If you have suggestions on towns that should have made the list (or you know something about these), please Comment below.